Why is it so difficult to communicate the content and quality of organic food? How can an organic market potential be generated? Prof. Dr. Antje Risius from the University of Göttingen addressed these and other questions and presented her findings in her lecture: 'The power of communication - what do consumers know and how can the industry react?' at the 6th Bio-Fachforum in Visselhövede.
Click here to view the photo report of the 6th Bio-Fachforum in Visselhövede.
Prof. Dr. Antje Risius
Risius was extremely surprised to discover that many consumers still have a negative impression of the organic sector, due to a lack of knowledge. She observed a need to communicate the various structures behind the respective organic labels and to make the requirements for organic controls more transparent.
But even among those consumers who can correctly classify and interpret organic goods, she said, a certain distrust is prevalent. "When communicating organic products, extrinsic quality must also be conveyed. That is, the other benefits of organic goods, not merely product quality," Risius said. She described the interplay of the two as 'an emotional area of tension'.
Integrated knowledge leads to trust
"We can confirm, however, that increased knowledge can lead to trust, although the knowledge must also be integrated into everyday life. Sometimes consumers have confidence without having concrete knowledge. What has to be taken into account here is the so-called 'halo effect' which in a way is a form of deceptive knowledge." However, the way in which information is conveyed is important as well, she said. In short, for a better understanding of organic products, communication and information deficits should be addressed and more should be communicated on an emotional level. "Values have to be communicated just as much as knowledge," says Risius.
Corresponding competence-oriented workshop material has already been presented most recently at Biofach in Nuremberg. It is an interactive platform from which consumers and interested parties can receive customizable information that includes both audiovisual and text-based presentations.
Stephan Schilling
Visibility and healthy attention economy
Stephan Schilling, Vice President and the person responsible for PR & Communications at We Are Era, presented his in his talk on 'Visibility 2.0 - Organic and Social Media - the Perfect Match?'. In it, he pleads for organic businesses to be more active on social networks and, above all, to try to reach younger generations; their future customers.
Instagram and TikTok as well as YouTube are the relevant platforms. "2/3 of all Internet users visit YouTube every day. If you are not there, you are losing immense potential," Schilling said. All digital platforms are online shopping 2.0, he said, adding that the goal is to build a healthy attention economy among a generation whose attention span is admittedly low.
Creating visibility to inspire trust
One of the reasons why this is important is that all platforms are working on new features that can not only influence individual purchasing decisions, but also directly offer purchase options. Furthermore, social media are not just being used for entertainment, but for additional education as well.
This means it would be not only important to promote one's own products or business, but also to inform the public about the organic industry. "If you want to be relevant tomorrow, you have to take your place today," says Schilling. This would be possible, for example, by working with young people, the so-called "digital natives," or cooperating with well-known influencers who already focus on food.
You can check out both talks, as well as other discussions and presentations (in German), here.
For more information:
https://oeko-komp1.de